Notts man left puppy in crate with no food or water

A Worksop man has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after his pet Dalmatian was found in an emaciated state by workmen.

Alastair Watt, 46, of Sherwood Road, was sentenced today (Wednesday September 13) at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the puppy, called Penny.

Penny as she is today

The court heard that Penny was seen by builders who were at Watt’s house to carry out some work. They found eight-month-old Penny in a crate with no food and water. They were so shocked by her emaciated appearance that they contacted the RSPCA.

RSPCA inspector Becky Harper said: “As soon as I saw Penny I knew that something wasn’t right. She was so thin and you could see her hip bones, spine and ribs. She was also very nervous but clearly desperate for food.

“She weighed 9kg, which is far from what she should have weighed, and vets gave her an extremely low body score of one out of nine. As soon as we gave her some food she wolfed it down - she was so hungry.

“It was clearly obvious that she was in a state of neglect. It was very quickly proven that there were no underlying health issues and her poor condition was simply due to not being provided with a suitable diet.

“It is not acceptable to leave an animal to suffer in the state that she was in.”

As well as the ten-year disqualification order, Watt was also fined £1,400 and ordered to pay £650 costs. A deprivation order was also made for Penny who will now pass into the care of the RSPCA.

Inspector Harper said: “In court, the magistrates clearly stated that they could not understand how any person could look at this dog and fail to recognise that there was a serious issue with her weight or health. I believe that the severity of this offence has now been taken on board by Mr Watt, with the sentencing reflecting the gravity of the situation, and it is hoped that lessons have been learned to prevent any similar situation reoccurring in the future.”

Penny, who has been in RSPCA foster care since February and has made a full recovery, will be available for rehoming soon.

“Happily, Penny is now a normal, healthy, happy young dog,” added Inspector Harper.